Moundridge Historical Association
The Moundridge Historical association was chartered in 1988 as a not for profit corporation, whose purpose is to preserve the history of the Moundridge Community. Membership is open to any person or institution sharing common goals of promoting pride in the community through the understanding and appreciation of our rich heritage, conserving the artifacts and historic locations in the community as well as at the Cole House and Depot Museums.  Also important is the sharing of information as well as education through partnerships with other organizations and schools and through the participation of tourism activities.

The Cole House
The Cole House was built on land homesteaded by Thornton C. J. Cole and his wife, Drusilla in 1875. It was the first house built in what later became the town of Moundridge.  (The picture to the right is the homestead.) The Coles gave the southwest quarter of their Homestead to help establish the town of Moundridge in 1887.  The Cole House was known as the halfway house due to its location of half way between McPherson and Newton, and offered shelter and hospitality to travelers who couldn't reach their destination by nightfall.

The house began as a two-room house with a lean-to kitchen and through additions is now a 15 -room house. It is unique because descendants of the Cole family have owned the house for over 120 years, as well as many of the artifacts exhibited.  Members of the community have donated other artifacts.  The time line of the exhibits is from 1930 and before.

Grace Kutnink, granddaughter of Thornton and Drusilla Cole, donated the house to the City of Moundridge in 1985 to be developed as a museum.

You are invited to tour through the Cole House Museum and listen to the stories and experience the history of one family in Moundridge.  Tours are available by appointment by calling Rosemary Fisher. 620-345-8287

Plans are underway for a new museum to be built on the farmstead grounds that will house many artifacts from other donors and will record the community history more completely.

More pictures of The Cole House.

The Moundridge Depot Museum
In the 1800's railroads play a most important part in settling the United States. In 1850 the railroads sold land to settlers for farming and commerce.  The first trains to come through Moundridge were the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific. During the first year, there were four trains a day for mail, freight and passengers also rode the trains. The depot became its symbol and the center of activity. Through the introduction of motorized trucks and busses, the importance of trains faded and in 1986 the depot in Moundridge was moved to its present location.

The Museum is being renovated and in the future will house artifacts from the business community of Moundridge and will be available for tours.

City of Moundridge
McPherson County
State of Kansas
U.S.A.
These few words are sufficient to identify a spot the map and set it apart from the rest of the world. If additional evidence is necessary to insure that it will not be confused with any other site, we can report that it is located at the common corner of sections 22,23, 26 and 27, Township 21 South, Range 2 West of the 6th Principal Meridian, according to the official U.S. Government survey. We might also add that the Post Office Department has assigned it a zip code number of 67107. These vital statistics establish the identity of a city providing a name and location, but tell us nothing about the human aspect that is the basic ingredient of the Moundridge community.

No attempt will be made here to analyze all the economic and political forces that combined to bring about the incorporation of the City of Moundridge in 1887 on a tract of land that had been raw wilderness a quarter of a century earlier.  Such a list would include everything from the Homestead Act and the Railroad Land Grant Act to Russian politics which inspired the migrations to America in 1874. Instead, we will begin when the first settlers chose this area as a place to establish permanent homes and it ceased to be an uninhabited expanse of prairie.

According to county records, James W. Edwards was the first in Mound Township.  He homesteaded on the northwest quarter of section 28 on the banks of Crooked Creek in late 1868 or early 1869.  Read more about the History of Moundridge!

Are you interested in visiting other cemeteries in our area? Click here for a list.